The Rich History of Pearls

Since
ancient times, the pearl has been a symbol of unblemished perfection.
It is the oldest known gem, and for centuries it was considered the most
valuable. A fragment of the oldest known pearl jewelry, found in the
sarcophagus of a Persian princess who died in 520 BC, is displayed in
the Louvre in Paris. To the ancients, pearls were a symbol of the moon
and had magical powers. In classical Rome, only persons above a certain
rank were allowed to wear pearl jewelry. The Latin word for pearl literally
means "unique",
attesting to the fact that no two pearls are identical.

Pearls have
been considered ideal wedding gifts because they symbolize purity
and innocence. In the Hindu religion, the presentation of an undrilled
pearl and its piercing has formed part of the marriage ceremony.

In the romance
languages (Spanish, French, Italian), margarita means pearl. The
word pearl appeared in the English language in the fourteenth century.
In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, pearls were very fashionable
in Europe as personal ornaments. The clothing of both men and women
were embroidered with them.

In the Americas,
both the Incas and Aztecs prized pearls for their beauty and magical
powers. Spanish explorers of the New World found the natives in
possession of rich pearl fisheries. For many years, the New World
was best known in European cities like Seville and Cadiz as the
land where pearls came from.

Most European
countries in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries had laws regarding
who could and could not wear pearls. Teachers and lawyers, for example,
could not wear fringes or chains with pearls.

Native Americans
of the Atlantic Coastal areas and the Mississippi River Basin were
the first to collect and use U.S. freshwater mussel pearls and shells.
Pearl pendants and ear pendants were worn by both sexes and both
pearl and shell were used for decorative purposes on articles of
clothing. Some of the tribes used pearls as tributes, reportedly
Powhattan (Pocahontas' father) had large stores of pearls received
as tribute. Additionally, armlets, pendants, and gaming pieces were
made from mussel shell.